Karachi, An underage Hindu girl was kidnapped and forcibly married to an elderly man who converted her to Islam in Pakistan's Sindh province, community members said Thursday.
The matter came to light barely a day after another minor Hindu girl, who was kidnapped from Hyderabad, was returned to her family by court order on Wednesday after a year-long ordeal.
Shiva Faqir Kaachi, who heads Pakistan's Darawar Ittehad organization, said the 16-year-old was kidnapped from her village in Hunguru on Wednesday and forcibly married to a much older man who converted her to Islam.
“The girl was taken to a seminary near the Samura area and married. When her parents went to the seminary on Thursday to see her, the cleric refused to let them in,” Kaachi said.
"It has now become common for Hindu families to see their young daughters and sisters being forcibly taken away and converted for marriage to Muslim men in these places," he said.
A Hyderabad court on Wednesday ordered a teenage girl to be reunited with her family after she was kidnapped in Hyderabad, converted and then married to a Muslim man last year.
Kaachi noted that since most Hindu families in Pakistan are poor, their women are easy targets and when they are kidnapped, their families face significant challenges in securing their return due to lack of support from the system.
He said his organization, which represents the Hindu community, will seek legal recourse to recover the kidnapped teenager.
“No one knows how long it will take. But we will continue to fight against this injustice and this crime,” Kaachi said.
In a similar incident, a Hindu girl, who was kidnapped just three days after getting married, made headlines in January 2022. She allegedly converted to Islam and married a Muslim man, but she managed to escape after 14 months. . The police took her home, but after a few months she was kidnapped again and has not yet been recovered.
The matter came to light barely a day after another minor Hindu girl, who was kidnapped from Hyderabad, was returned to her family by court order on Wednesday after a year-long ordeal.
Shiva Faqir Kaachi, who heads Pakistan's Darawar Ittehad organization, said the 16-year-old was kidnapped from her village in Hunguru on Wednesday and forcibly married to a much older man who converted her to Islam.
“The girl was taken to a seminary near the Samura area and married. When her parents went to the seminary on Thursday to see her, the cleric refused to let them in,” Kaachi said.
"It has now become common for Hindu families to see their young daughters and sisters being forcibly taken away and converted for marriage to Muslim men in these places," he said.
A Hyderabad court on Wednesday ordered a teenage girl to be reunited with her family after she was kidnapped in Hyderabad, converted and then married to a Muslim man last year.
Kaachi noted that since most Hindu families in Pakistan are poor, their women are easy targets and when they are kidnapped, their families face significant challenges in securing their return due to lack of support from the system.
He said his organization, which represents the Hindu community, will seek legal recourse to recover the kidnapped teenager.
“No one knows how long it will take. But we will continue to fight against this injustice and this crime,” Kaachi said.
In a similar incident, a Hindu girl, who was kidnapped just three days after getting married, made headlines in January 2022. She allegedly converted to Islam and married a Muslim man, but she managed to escape after 14 months. . The police took her home, but after a few months she was kidnapped again and has not yet been recovered.
